Free Web NovelChapter 76: Just Another Collared Dog II
I laughed weakly, wiping the tears from my eyes.
Lydia was terrified of Damon, yet she was still willing to fight him for my sake. What an odd situation this was; my best friend was collared by one of my fated mates, who could look me in the eye and tell me there were no other women enslaved in such a manner in House Sirius.
What a mess. Short of killing Damon, I could think of no way out of this.
"So, where do you plan to go now?" I asked Lydia.
I wanted nothing more for her to move into my room back at House Sirius; with Blaise gone, there was more than enough room for her to stay. Yet Damon’s last warning rang in my head― I knew that if I insisted on bringing Lydia back, the only one who would suffer any lasting consequences of my actions would be Lydia.
I just got my best friend back, against all the odds. I wasn’t going to risk her life. With Lydia’s presence, my plans had to change. Initially, I was simply content with having Blaise as a mate and joining him at the borders. Now I needed to ensure Lydia’s safety, comfort, and freedom as well. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"I’m not sure," Lydia said with a pained grin. "Like I said earlier, Damon didn’t give me a new place to stay, so I was staying out of everyone’s way back at House Sirius. I was hoping to move to one of the other packhouses today when you caught sight of me and chased me down."
My face twisted at the reminder of Damon’s heartlessness and cruelty. He deliberately did not want me to meet Lydia. Well, it was too late for him, I thought viciously to myself. Thankfully fate was kinder than he was.
My mind whirled for a possible solution. It was a pity Blaise was gone, I could have used his help... wait a minute, now that Blaise was gone, House Regulus was technically without a leader.
"Maybe you can try staying at House Regulus!" I exclaimed. "Blaise isn’t there, so there should be less eyes on you."
"Then you can contact me more easily without Damon knowing," Lydia finished my train of thought, and then her face fell. "Ah, but you and I sending letters will definitely attract the attention of other wolves. Everyone else simply uses the mind link to communicate, and they aren’t going to trust me enough to give me paper and not monitor my correspondence."
I sighed at the truth in Lydia’s words; my lack of werewolf was such an inconvenience, and that collar on Lydia meant that she was effectively cut off from her wolf.
"Lydia, you have to move there anyway." Knowing Damon’s temper, she might lose her head if he spots her during breakfast.
"But what about you? Are you staying with... Damon?" Lydia asked, distress visible on her face. "You can’t! He’s not a good man!"
"I know, that’s why you need to go― so that he doesn’t find you. I’ll join you in a week," I promised, squeezing Lydia’s hands.
Instead of being reassured, Lydia looked even more worried. "But will Damon let you go? He might not notice my absence since I’m only one of his many women, but you’re his fated mate. He would never let you leave without a fight!" freeweɓnøvel.com
"I’ll go to you no matter what," I swore fervently. "It’s not my first time fighting Damon. This time, I can simply pretend to be angry at Damon for something or another and just move out. Then we can see each other often and decide on future plans."
"That does seem like a plan!" Lydia said hopefully, a tiny smile growing on her face, "Especially since I have no doubt that Damon would piss you off within that one week."
"You know it," I agreed. I was already furious enough with Damon. If Lydia was here wearing his collar, god knew how many other women he had tucked away out of my sight.
Lydia looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering and the air was heavy with pressure. "I think it’s about to rain. I need to make my way to House Regulus now."
My heart fell as I realized we had to part ways. She gave me one last hug.
"Look after yourself, Harper, and don’t listen to whatever bullshit Damon tells you," Lydia said fiercely. "He’s a terrible bastard and his words can’t be trusted. If you need help, come to House Regulus and find me."
"I know," I said, hugging her back just as tightly. "You should be careful too. Stay out of his way, but if he purposely comes and gives you trouble, let me know. I’ll handle it."
Lydia snorted amusingly. "Sure, of course you will. Unless you’re poisoning Damon, I don’t see how you can handle a beast like him."
"You never know," I said sulkily. "I might just get the drop on him."
Lydia laughed and with one final longing glance at me, she took off for House Regulus. I stood there and watched her retreating back until she thoroughly vanished from view. She might not have her wolf but she was still faster and more agile than the average human, especially when she had a maniacal tyrant hunting for her head.
Then, the first drop of rain landed on my face. Crap, I dawdled too long outside! I should immediately turn back to take shelter at House Sirius, but the thought of seeing Damon so quickly made my stomach turn. I didn’t trust myself not to sock him in the gut if he showed up in front of me.
More importantly, Damon had a sharper nose than Lydia and I. Since Lydia and I were hugging each other, he would definitely be able to tell I found Lydia. I had to get rid of the scent quickly.
Perhaps the rain came at just the right time. I smiled and walked further out into the rapidly worsening rainstorm, letting it wash away Lydia’s scent on me. The rain was cold against my skin, causing my goosebumps to rise as I stood under the natural shower of dew and mist.
I looked up. Dark clouds had gathered in the sky, covering any glimpse of natural light. Only the bare minimum slipped between the cracks of those clouds, scattering thin fragments of illumination across the lands of Fangborne.
I took one last glance at where she disappeared off to before turning on my heel, prepared to head back into House Sirius. However, I was quickly stopped before I could even take a single step, my face knocking flat against a hard surface. A rush of mint and pine hit my nostrils; I didn’t even need to take a good look to know who it was.
"What are you doing out here?"
